Podcast #81: Glasgow 2026 - Commonwealth winner Eamonn Martin's bid to change the sport
December's England Athletics Podcast, featuring 1990 Commonwealth 10,000m champion Eamonn Martin, is the latest episode in a series building up to the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Martin reminisces about that glorious moment in Auckland 35 years ago - along with his London Marathon victory in 1993 - before discussing his current roles as a cross country Team Manager for England Athletics and an organiser of the London Cross Challenge Meeting.
"Just sensible, hang in there, is what I did," he tells host Alex Seftel of his triumph for England. "Then I basically let fly on the last lap with a really fast finish to win the gold medal."
The three-time Olympian and former British record holder talks about navigating a period of extraordinary depth in UK distance running, also reminding us that his win in London was his first time running 26.2 miles.
"When I thought 'I am probably not going to get any better at 10,000', I then went to marathon. I just went in there with an incredibly positive mental attitude. I did run with a lot of courage, I had a go," he recalls.
Martin remains the last male Briton to win the London Marathon. He is also looking to provide entertainment as a race organiser, as he seeks to add the sort of party atmosphere and fan engagement to cross country at Parliament Hill, that has been successful at the neighbouring track event, the Night of the 10,000m PBs.
"A small lap, I was really keen on," he explains. "I like the idea of the runners never being too far away. That is the kind of concept that I wanted. It's quite compact - a lot of competitors together."
Eamonn's event is on Saturday 7 February. Also on the horizon for 2026 are changes to age groups in athletics. From 1 April, young athletes will compete in U14, U16, U18 and U20 categories, as opposed to the current U13, U15, U17 and U20. These changes are based on a desire to support athletes with their progression, to help grow participant numbers and to retain more young participants in the sport.
"I'm pleased that we are doing something about it. Only time will tell, but I think it's potentially much better for the athletes - the pressure is a little bit less at the key points with exams. We are in line with more of Europe. We are trying to create a sport that people stay in longer and I see it as a real opportunity for that to happen," he added.